The present invention relates generally to a football with improved laces, and in particular to football having a lace that enhances the aerodynamics of the football.
Most inflatable sports balls are made by one of two main constructions: a traditional construction in which an inner bladder is surrounded by outer panels stitched together to contain the inflated bladder, and a carcass construction in which outer panels are laminated to an inner bladder. Examples of balls of traditional construction include some soccer balls, volleyballs, and footballs which have pieced and stitched outer panels. An example of a ball of carcass construction is a basketball which has an integral cover.
Conventional footballs are constructed in the traditional way by surrounding an inner bladder with an outer skin formed of multiple panels stitched together. In traditional construction, the bladder is inserted into an opening in the outer skin and the outer skin is laced together to close the opening.
This traditional lace is still used, even though modern manufacturing methods and materials do not necessarily require lacing together the outer skin of the football. Laces are provided mainly as a guide for proper finger placement or otherwise for gripping assistance. Different lace geometries and materials for improving the grip characteristics of a football have been proposed. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,779,576; 5,941,785; and 6,612,948.
The laces may also impact the aerodynamics of the football during flight. In particular, the laces may assist in reducing drag on the football and stabilizing the rotation of the football, which may allow a player to throw or kick a lace ball further or more accurately than an unlaced ball or a ball having traditional laces. However, the art has not explored the impact of laces on the aerodynamics of a football. Therefore, there exists a need in the art for different geometries of laces for footballs that improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the football.